Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-23
AGRICULTURAL.



There are several hundred species Of ma
tive and naturalized grasses found in the
United States and Canada. While we have
so many kinds less than half a dozen are
in general cultivation, and in this section
probably nine tenths of all the grass seed
sown is timothy, or herds grass, with clio
yer. 1t is hardly probable that there are
not among all the different kinds of grasses
not cultivated some that would bc better
adapted to certain seasons and soils than
the cultivated kinds Many species of ma
tive grasses may be found in any of our
pastures or old meadows. The pasture
grasses are mostly different from the cult
waited grasses. Neither timothy nor red
clover (which is not properly grass, though
often so called will last long on land that
is used for grazing. Other grasses soon
take the place of these on land that is not
frequently re-seeded Red top is perhaps
the only grass cultivated for hay in this
section which will make permanent pastur-
age. In the pastures or on an old meadow
more than twenty different species of grass
es may often be found growing on a single
acre among them will generally be found
several species of Poa and several of Agros-
it's June grass, or blue grass, is Poa pra
tenss. Other species are also called June
grass among them improperly so called is
Danthonia spicata, a very different kind of
grass, common on land that has been eX-
hausted for other grasses. 1t has very nu-
merous, long, fibrous roots which penetrate
the earth to a great depth, thus enabling it
to flourish where the surface soil has been
exhausted. 1t has bad reputation, partly
perhaps, because it grows upon poor soil.
If cut early it makes good hay, and as pas
ture grass 1t is tolerable substitute for
something better which cannot be made to
grow on land where this grass will flourish.
Red top or bent grass is Agrostis vulgaris.
Another species is Agrostis alba or white
top. Some of the species of this genus,
and also of the genus Poa differ but little
and are not usually distinguished from each
other except by expert botanists.
A very common grass appearing late in
the season in cultivated fields is the barn
yard or cocks foot grass CPanicum crus-
galli) 1t grows, in rich ground, from three
to five feet high, and is a heavy grass in
stalk and foliage. 1t is relished by cattle
and is grazed off so that it is seldom seen
headed out in pastures. 1t is said that this
grass "is greedily eaten by horses and cat
tie and makes a hay of good quality. 1t is
justly regarded as an excellent grass, par
ticularly before it ripens its seed, as in the
later stages of its growth the long and stiff
awns of its spikes tend to make it some
what unpalatable.
Two species of Setaria, the genus to
which the German millet and Hungarian
grass belong, are also common in the cult
yated fields in August and September,
They are the fox tail grass (Setaria viridis)
and pigeon grass or bristle grass tSetaria
glauca.) Both resemble Hungarian grass
(Setaria Itaiica), and like this and the barn
yard grass are annual, growing only from
the seed.
A species of woods grass lMuhlenbergia)
is now, Sept 20, in bloom 1t is quite com
mon and is found in the fields, in pastures,
by the roadside and in the open woods.
Cattle, it is said, eat it with avidity. 1t is
in its prime late in the season when 9th
or grasses are becoming old 1t is claimed
that this is an excellent grass for mich
cows giving the butter peculiar, fine fla
vor. 1t might easily be mistaken for witch
grass (Triticum repens) from its creeping
root stalk and from the resemblance of the
stem and leaves but it may readily be dis
tinguished from witch grass by the time OF
blossoming and by the flowers, which are
borne on n panicle on numerous branches
Witch grass bears its flowers on "A single
terminal spike like a head of wheat, it is
classed by the botanists as species of thu
same genus as wheat